Matisse - as you’ve never seen her before

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The painting has been in private hands for the past 40 yearsPeter Macdiarmid/Getty

Last updated at 12:01AM, April 5 2013

A portrait of Henri Matisse’s wife is expected to fetch £13 million at auction next month.

Experts say that the “magnificent” portrait, Madame Matisse by André Derain, will attract bidders worldwide and could become the most expensive painting sold by the painter, who founded the Fauvism school of art along with Matisse.

The oil canvas, currently on display at Christie’s in Piccadilly, is described as “the most important portrait by the artist ever to come to auction”. It is the star attraction at its Impressionist and Modern Art sale in New York on May 8.